The pros & cons of conscription, AKA the draft

I was in the Army from 2015 to 2021. The US military has been an all-volunteer force since 1973.

The pros of conscription:

-easiest way to fix manpower shortages

-better variety and quality of recruits

-soldiers just want to win the war and go home

-draftees are cheaper; no need for good pay or bonuses to recruit more troops

And the cons:

-people with money and connections can avoid service

-harsh discipline required since many conscripts don't want to be there

-politicians more likely to engage in wars of choice rather wars of necessity

-it's immoral to force people to risk their lives and commit violence

On the whole, I think the all-volunteer system is better for many reasons. In the case of the US, there is no need for a large peacetime military. Even if nuclear weapons didn't exist, it's basically impossible to successfully invade and conquer a country as big and isolated as the America. 

Any country with nuclear weapons is safe from conquest, occupation, and regime change, no matter how vulnerable it is to conventional attacks.